Cellphone tower appeal before council

OROVILLE — The City Council tonight will consider an appeal of the Planning Commission's decision to deny an 80-foot cellphone tower on Oro Dam Boulevard.

The council will address the appeal by Verizon Wireless during a public hearing. The commission denied a use permit for the tower at 2755 Oro Dam Blvd. on April 29.

Commissioners agreed the facility would negatively impact the health and safety on next-door properties, according to the city report.

The 80-foot tower with nine antennas and a microwave dish would be installed on the back of a 1.38-acre parcel. The site would include a 184-square-foot equipment shelter and a 48-kilowatt generator with a 210-gallon diesel tank.

The project would be four miles from the Oroville Municipal Airport to the west and 1.5 miles from the nearest airport influence area.

The Federal Aviation Administration doesn't restrict the facility from being installed at the proposed location, but the tower would be adjacent to the Oroville Hospital helicopter flight path.

The close proximity to the heliport presents some safety concerns, according to the report.

An environmental checklist indicates the project could have a significant impact, but mitigation measures reduce the impacts to less than significant, according to the report.

If approved, a light would be required on top of the tower and helicopter pilots would be notified of the potential hazard.

Staff recommends approving the use permit with an impact mitigation monitoring and reporting program.

The council will also consider a proposal from the Police Department to fund a community resource officer position the council approved in a past budget.

Management states if the council fills the position, it will have to cut another $70,000.

The council will also consider an amendment to the budget layoffs to reinstate an accountant position in the Finance Department.

The council will revisit the Oro Dam Auto Center project to decide whether to defer $72,329 in development fees for the new dealership.

The money would be paid back through additional sales tax.

The city has previously given the dealership a $300,000 economic development loan that would be forgiven if certain sales tax goals are met.

The council will also look at making payments of $10,155 to $121,870 a year to the Thermalito Water and Sewer District for the city's share of upgrading the "east trunkline" to transport wastewater to the sewer ponds.

Among other items on the consent agenda is a request from the Oroville City Docent Association to have a series of guest lectures or history talks at city museums.

The events will include lunch or light snacks for $10 to $15 person for each event, with $2.50 per attendee going to the city.

Under council reports, council may consider a request to send a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission relating to the PG&E increase for electric generation charges in 2014.